Towards borderless rail travel - Amadeus Rail Forum: day one

The 5th Amadeus Rail Forum celebrated in Vienna got top representatives from the travel and rail industry. Keep on reading to know the event highlights during the first day.

Seizing the rail liberalization opportunity

The event started with a welcome message from Dr. Erich Forster, Westbahn CEO. He presented Westbahn some innovative approaches to achieve competitive differentiation. From selling tickets in tobacconists’ shops in order to reach older travelers, to focusing on rail customer satisfaction with dedicated onboard staff.

Westbahn was the perfect example of this year’s event theme ‘Towards borderless rail travel’. They have been seizing the opportunity that rail liberalization represents. Over the next days, we’ll be looking at how railways can break down barriers to growth in a rapidly changing industry.

From Antibes to Vienna: rail passenger barriers

We also wanted to experience the barriers that a rail traveler might find when traveling in Europe. Our experiment: "From Antibes to Vienna", outlined the trip stages from Antibes (France) to the Rail Forum in Vienna. From searching journey options using online travel agents, rail websites, and visiting rail ticket offices; through to booking and setting off on the train. It was clear just how confusing the shopping and rail booking experience can be when it comes to long-distance rail.

Global rail market trends shapping travel

Rory Sutherland, Vice Chairman, Ogilvy Group, continued with the focus on human behavior. Railways don’t need to make a huge investment, to reap a huge benefit. For example, allowing customers to pre-book space at the station car park, can improve rail customer experience: not being sure if you’ll be able to park your car before taking the train might deter some travellers from using rail.